Utility poles are widely used to mount electrical wire conductors above ground for the distribution of electrical power to rural or urban areas. The conductors are secured on an isolative body, called an insulator, typically installed on a cross arm support firmly connected to the pole. The bare conductor is secured to the insulator either via a tie-wire if a tie-top type insulator is used or via a clamping mechanism if a clamp-top insulator is used, such as, the vise-top insulators.
In recent years, utility companies have become more sensitive to wildlife protection, particularly birds, since the utility pole offers itself as an ideal resting or nesting support for migrating or local birds respectively. The animal can be in contact with either the conductor, the insulator, or the cross arm. However, the danger lies during landing or take-off whereof the wingspan of such birds can be sufficiently wide to bridge two energized lines or a live line to ground (insulator pins, metal poles etc.) causing an electrical short, killing or injuring the bird and causing power outages to consumers. Protective covers installed on the conductor at the interface to utility pole structures in the distribution and transmission system have proven to reduce the risk of electrocution to wildlife.
Various conventional wildlife covers are currently available on the market and are designed to fit different types and sizes of insulators and conductors. However, these conventional devices have many weaknesses, including the following:                1. Angled construction limitations: some conventional covers are manufactured to specific fixed angle values limiting the use of such cover to only pre-determined angles. Other devices only allow horizontal angled movement. Other products depend on the material's flexibility to accommodate angled constructions which causes detrimental distortion to the cover standalone shape. Consequently, bending the flexible material of the device over time may cause mechanical fatigue to the flexed area and weakens the material which can compromise the cover's mechanical and electrical performances.        2. Conductor sagging angle: some conventional covers on the market are not designed to accommodate for the conductor's different sagging angles which depend primarily on the line tension and on the surrounding air temperature variations. Rather, their use is limited by either the sloppiness of the assembly or by the flexibility of the material which can provide a limited sagging angle but still stresses the material overtime.        3. Conductor size dependency: some conventional covers are conductor size dependent. They can accommodate a specific range of conductor sizes since the cover assembly depends on the conductor to be firmly secured in order to resist wind forces, snow and animal weights. This increases the number of different size covers to be carried by utility companies which is very undesirable.        4. Neck Size dependency: Some cover designs use the insulator's neck diameter to remain securely attached to the insulator. Consequently, different cover sizes have to be carried by utility companies which can be expensive and inefficient.        5. Different elevations between poles: most conventional covers on the market do not account for poles at different elevations coupled with the conductor sagging angles. As a result, the covers may be forcibly bent causing unnecessary mechanical stress on the assembly and rendering it vulnerable to dislodging in rough conditions, such as windy or snowy conditions when the conductor is prone to galloping and swinging.        6. Flexible material: covers made with flexible material are relatively thin and tend to rotate and/or lift in windy conditions, exposing the insulator. This exposing of the insulator may allow the animal to use it for resting or nesting space. Also, thin covers are more susceptible to electrical puncture due to the thickness, abrasion and material fatigue overtime.        7. Need a special accessory for use with alive-line tool (a.k.a. hot stick): some conventional cover devices require special attachments to the hot stick, the insulated pole used to contact live conductors, in order to install the wildlife cover on the insulator and the bare conductor. An additional accessory is an extra tool the linemen have to carry.        8. Pre-assembly needed: some conventional cover devices require pre-assembly before mounting them on the insulator and the bare conductor.        9. Extension arm length limitation: most conventional wildlife cover devices on the market are offered with pre-determined extension arm lengths for covering the exposed bare conductor, primarily due to the manufacturing process limitations.        10. Electrical characteristics: some conventional cover devices provide a physical barrier but the barrier has limited electrical-withstand performance. Holes, gaps, or seams in the cover assemblies can provide a short arc path from the conductor that can result in electrocutions, especially in wet conditions.        
Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.